Overcoming Pancreatic Cancer

Dear friends, Thank you for your faithful love, support, and prayer during this journey! I am now in week 5 of the 6-week radiation treatment, and taking my foruth dose of chemo, after having skipped on week. Blood counts went down somewhat this last week, but overall I am doing well.  Radiation continues every morning. I have had some bloating from a slower GI system. This can make the "mask" tight and sometimes painful. The mask is a plastic mesh used to strap my body to the radiation table. It was form-fitted prior to radiation, so any changed in stomach or abdomen size can cause pressure changes.  I have been a bit more tired as treatment continues, and sometimes don't have much of an appetite.  But I am grateful to be spared the nausea and vomiting that seem to be a common side effect of radiation and chemo.  I am also grateful for the reminders that so many of you are praying for me and for the generous help that continues to make this treatment and stay possib...

Greetings, dear friends. I hope you are enjoying the beginning of summer.  I took a week off chemo last week because my platelets dropped too low. Now they are back to pre-chemo levels and I am waiting for my third weekly chemo dose. Radiation is now into the fourth week.  Overall, the week off chemo made me feel a lot better, even though side effects had not been severe.  Thank you for your prayers! Please do continue to pray that the radiation and chemo will be effective in targeting the tumor and for minimal side effects. In particular, I appreciate prayer for good digestion, as that has been the most challenging side effect of the diagnosis and treatment.  I was encouraged by a sermon on Jeremiah 18 this past weekend on how God is the potter and we are the clay being formed into the instrument of his design and for his glory. The process of being thus formed may be uncomfortable at times, but this is needed to produce a vessel that can withstand the fires of the ...